Dr. Dao will investigate why the blood stem cells stem cells: Cells in the body that develop into other cells. There are two main sources of stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from human embryos and are used in medical research. Adult stem cells in the body repair and maintain the organ or tissue in which they are found. Blood-forming (hemapoietic) stem… from patients who inherit a loss-of-function mutation mutation: Any change or alteration in a gene. A mutation may cause disease or may be a normal variation. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) occurs because of a mutation in the PIG-A gene of a single stem cell in the bone marrow. in one of the genes of the Fanconi anemia Fanconi anemia: A rare inherited disorder that happens when the bone marrow does not make enough blood cells (red cells, white cells, and platelets). Fanconi anemia is diagnosed early in life. People with Fanconi anemia have a high likelihood of developing cancer. Genetic testing is used to diagnose Fanconi anemia. pathway are highly susceptible to cell death yet also highly susceptible to conversion into an acute leukemia.
Our research goals are to investigate why the blood stem cells stem cells: Cells in the body that develop into other cells. There are two main sources of stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from human embryos and are used in medical research. Adult stem cells in the body repair and maintain the organ or tissue in which they are found. Blood-forming (hemapoietic) stem… from patients who inherit a loss-of-function mutation mutation: Any change or alteration in a gene. A mutation may cause disease or may be a normal variation. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) occurs because of a mutation in the PIG-A gene of a single stem cell in the bone marrow. in one of the genes of the Fanconi anemia Fanconi anemia: A rare inherited disorder that happens when the bone marrow does not make enough blood cells (red cells, white cells, and platelets). Fanconi anemia is diagnosed early in life. People with Fanconi anemia have a high likelihood of developing cancer. Genetic testing is used to diagnose Fanconi anemia. pathway are highly susceptible to cell death yet also highly susceptible to conversion into myelodysplasia and acute leukemia. We have defined at the molecular level that one determinant is abnormal - Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, a pathway that normally controls the quantity and quality of blood stem cells during the lifespan of an individual. We recently published this work (Dao, KT et al. FANCL ubiquitinates beta-catenin and enhances its nuclear function. Blood. 2012 May 31). We hope that with our continued effort we will identify markers that predict prognosis or identify Wnt/beta-catenin pathway targets that may be manipulated to improve the function of blood stem cells in Fanconi anemia disease and in acquired bone marrow failure bone marrow failure: A condition that occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough healthy blood cells. The most common of these rare diseases are aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Bone marrow failure can be acquired (begin any time in life) or can be… , and therefore, prevent conversion into myelodysplasia and acute leukemia.
Dr. Kim-Hien Dao received her post-doctoral internal medicine training at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, California, and hematology/oncology fellowship training at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Dao started her position as an assistant professor in the Division of Hematology & Oncology, Center for Hematologic Malignancies, at OHSU in the fall of 2009. She is a member of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. She sees patients who have damage to the blood-forming cells in their bone marrow bone marrow: The soft, spongy tissue inside most bones. Blood cells are formed in the bone marrow. (myelodysplastic syndrome) or myelodysplastic syndrome that has transformed into acute myelogenous leukemia acute myelogenous leukemia: (uh-KYOOT my-uh-LAH-juh-nuss loo-KEE-mee-uh) A cancer of the blood cells. It happens when very young white blood cells (blasts) in the bone marrow fail to mature. The blast cells stay in the bone marrow and become to numerous. This slows production of red blood cells and platelets. Some cases of… . She works with other scientists on several clinical trials clinical trials: Clinical research is at the heart of all medical advances, identifying new ways to prevent, detect or treat disease. If you have a bone marrow failure disease, you may want to consider taking part in a clinical trial, also called a research study. Understanding Clinical Trials Clinical… (research studies), and plans to start her own clinical trials of new treatments for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes myelodysplastic syndromes: (my-eh-lo-diss-PLASS-tik SIN-dromez) A group of disorders where the bone marrow does not work well, and the bone marrow cells fail to make enough healthy blood cells. Myelo refers to the bone marrow. Dysplastic means abnormal growth or development. People with MDS have low blood cell count for at… that are very likely to become leukemia. She spends much of her day in the laboratory, studying how blood diseases become leukemia. Dr. Dao hopes her research will help develop treatments to stop the development of leukemia.